The Shadow
Woody Pettus, longtime maitre d’ at The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, waves to onlookers after throwing the switch to light the Christmas tree in the Great Hall Wednesday afternoon. (Gavin Dressler Photo)
Woody Pettus, longtime maitre d’ at The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, waves to onlookers after throwing the switch to light the Christmas tree in the Great Hall Wednesday afternoon. (Gavin Dressler Photo)
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HOT SPRINGS — A Christmas tradition has come alive at The Omni Homestead Resort.
Wednesday afternoon, the holiday season kicked off at the hotel with the formal lighting of the Christmas tree located in the Great Hall.
At 4 p.m. a large crowd of resort guests and employees gathered in the Great Hall to watch as Woody Pettus, the long time maitre d’ at The Homestead, flipped the switch to illuminate the tree.
Pettus began his career at the resort 56 years ago at the age of 16.
This year’s Great Hall tree is a Fraser Fir. The tree arrived at The Homestead Monday from Newland, N.C. It stands 21 feet tall and is decorated with 2,000 oversized ornaments and over 1,250 lights.
The Christmas tree at The Omni Homestead is a tradition that dates back to 1776.
Following the lighting of the tree, guests were treated to a visit from Santa Claus. The jolly ol’ elf posed for photos and took Christmas requests from youngsters.
